Chapter 54
Unstoppable birthday gift
At the Institute
Rogue was in her room, laying on her bed. In a couple of minutes it would be midnight.
Tomorrow was June 21st, Rogue's birthday. She never spent it here before but she didn't have anything planned, or more like she didn't expect anyone to do anything for her.
She heard something tap on her window.
Rogue went to her window and looked out but didn't see anything.
Then Dean hung off the roof upside down, "Hey!"
Rogue was taken by surprise, "Jesus!" She jumped back, "Don't scare me like that"
"My bad" Dean apologized, "You wanna join me on the roof?" he said with a bright smile.
Rogue looked at him but couldn't figure out what he was planning, "Sure"
Dean helped her up and they sat next to each other.
Rogue looked up at the sky and gazed upon the stars, "It's beautiful"
The sky was much clearer since the last time they were up here.
Dean looked at the time, 12:01. He gave her a wrapped box he'd hidden, "Happy Birthday"
Rogue's face grew a bright smile as she took the gift, "But I didn't get you anything for your birthday"
"You were there when I asked you to be, that was enough" Dean said sincerely.
Rogue ripped off the wrapping paper. It was the brand new latest iPhone, she noticed that the box was openned, "Why is it open?"
"I asked Kitty what kind of music you listen to so I filled it with groups you like. Avril Lavigne, Evanescence, Joan Jett, and a bunch of other ones" Dean said.
Rogue's face grew a warm smile and she embraced him tightly, "Thank you so much"
Dean embraced her as well, "Don't mention it. By the way did you know you're Birthday is on the summer solstice?"
"The summer what now?" Rogue asked letting go of him.
"The summer solstice. It's the day when the Gods meet on Olympus and are at their strongest, or so I've been told" Dean said recalling what Chiron told him.
"That's kinda strange" Rogue said, "I guess I should feel honored my birthday is so important"
"So, try out your gift. The only thing missing from this view is some good tunes" Dean said.
Rogue opened her new phone and scrolled through her list of songs, "I think I have just the one" she played the song Complicated by Avril Lavigne.
Dean and Rogue laid back on the roof as the song played.
{Chill out, what you yellin' for?
Lay back, it's all been done before
And if you could only let it be
You will see}
Rogue looked over to Dean and saw him with his eyes closed, listening in relaxation.
She smiled, it made her happy to see him act like himself.
{I like you the way you are
When we're drivin' in your car
And you're talking to me one on one—}
Dean felt a vibration in his pocket so he pulled out his phone.
Rogue paused the song.
Dean sighed, "Jean needs me for something, I'll see you later" he hurried off the roof.
Rogue frowned as she put her headphones on and pressed play.
{—but you've become...
Somebody else 'round everyone else
You're watching your back
like you can't relax
You're tryin' to be cool
You look like a fool to me
Tell me
Why do you have to go and make things so complicated?}
The next day Rogue was laying on the couch, listening to some music as she became more acquainted with her new cellular device.
"I just don't understand what the big deal is" she heard someone say.
Rogue sat upright and peaked slightly over the couch cushions to see Dean and Jean speaking.
"The Professor told me he was going to try something different in our next danger room session, we can't have you going off on your own" Jean said.
"Why would I go off on my own?" Dean asked in confusion. He frowned as a thought entered his mind, "Scott put you up to this didn't he?"
Jean dodged the question, "It's going to take all of us working in perfect sync to—"
"You know I would expect this kind of reaction from him, but not from you" Dean sounded disappointed as he walked away.
"Dean c'mon!" Jean went after him.
Rogue accidentally hit next playing a different song, Girlfriend by Avril Lavigne.
{Hey! Hey! You! You!
I want to be your girlfriend
You're so fine
I want you mine
You're so delicious
I think about you all the time
You're so addictive—}
Rogue frowned as she paused it. That's not something she needed to listen to, She then deleted the song.
Later in the Danger Room
The X-men stood in the center of the Danger room, ready to begin their session.
All the adults were in the observation room.
'Prepare yourselves' Charles spoke to them telepathically.
Dean's eyes narrowed, that sounded like a warning.
Then there was a steady thumping sound. Like heavy footsteps.
'What you're about to face will test just how far you've come as a team' Charles said.
The Danger room wall opened letting the footsteps be heard by everyone.
"That's definitely big" Evan said sounding nervous.
'You'll need all your willpower to overcome this' Charles added.
The wall opened high enough for something massive to go through. A person no less.
He stood at about the same height as the hulk, but was less muscular. Every part of his body was covered in brick red armor with the exception of his arms.
"Happy Birthday to me" Rogue said sarcastically.
Kurt gulped, "It's the…"
"The Juggernaut" Scott confirmed as he adjusted the power setting on his visor to max.
Dean's face grew a giant grin, "You don't say"
Jean gave Dean a serious look.
Dean noticed and decided to not give in to his temptation to engage on his own. Only to spite Scott.
"Since when could the Danger room do this?" Kitty asked in shock.
"Looks like Forge did way more than tinker with the Danger room last time he was here" Evan said sprouting spikes all over his arms in preparation.
'Begin' Charles said.
Juggernaut lazily walked towards them.
"Marvel Girl set up a link" Cyclops said w.
Marvel Girl created a telepathic link between all of them, 'Done'
'What's the plan one eye?' Dean thought.
Cyclops ignored the verbal jab, 'Primary objective is his helmet. If we can get it off Marvel Girl can attack his mind, it's his only weakness'
'Good to know' Dean said keeping that in mind. He looked at the face of the so called Unstoppable man. He looked bored, as if Dean and the X-men were like ants to him.
'Spread out and surround him' Cyclops fired a full power optic beam at him, 'Try to divide his attention'
The beam hit Juggernaut's chest and he took a step back before slowly walking forward, pushing the beam back with no effort.
Spyke shot some of his bone spikes at Juggernaut's eye and mouth holes on his helmet.
Juggernaut stopped pushing back the optic beam and raised his hand to block the bone spikes.
Nightcrawler teleported on top of Juggernaut. His helmet was kept in place by 4 latches, one at each corner. Nightcrawler opened one of the latches and teleported away as Juggernaut went to grab him.
Shadowcat then phased out of the floor and phased Juggernaut into it up to his neck.
'Marvel Girl hold him down' Cyclops said.
Marvel Girl tried to keep him in place with her telekinesis.
Nightcrawler then teleported on top of him again and opened another latch as Shadowcat did the same.
Warrior raised an eyebrow, 'This seems too easy'
Juggernaut's expression changed from one of boredom to one of pure rage.
'Get back!' Warrior shouted.
Before they could do anything Juggernaut burst out of the floor, flinging both Nightcrawler and Shadowcat to the far ends of the room and knocking into the wall with enough force to knock them both out.
Marvel Girl winced from the sharp pain in her head as Juggernaut broke through her telekinesis, 'I can't hold him'
'Going south pretty fast here' Warrior said, waiting for the leader to come up with something.
Juggernaut stepped out of the hole in the floor.
'Warrior keep him busy while we open the last latch' Cyclops ordered.
'One piece of bait coming up' Warrior threw a lightning bolt at Juggernaut and it had absolutely no effect, besides gaining his attention.
Juggernaut ran at Warrior with the intent to crush him.
'What's the plan now?' Rogue asked having stayed back.
'Someone needs to get close to him, to open the last latch' Cyclops said.
'But one hit is all it'll take to take us out' Marvel Girl said.
'I know, I know' Cyclops said sounding frustrated.
'Having fun there guys?' Warrior said as he avoided being smashed by Juggernaut's fist.
'We gotta make a move' Spyke sprouted spikes all over him.
'Ok uh, maybe we can weaken him first. We'll try to slow him down while Rogue sneaks behind him to absorb him' Cyclops said before he shot an optic blast at Juggernaut.
Juggernaut flinched when it hit him, only because he didn't see it coming. He went to engage him when Spyke fired a barrage of bone spikes from behind.
Juggernaut then turned around to stomp on him but found his foot stuck in midair from Marvel Girl's telekinesis.
Rogue then jumped on Juggernaut's arm without her gloves to absorb him.
The Juggernaut was stunned for a moment.
'Now while we have the chance!' Cyclops shouted.
Warrior rushed on top of him and opened the last latch.
Juggernaut then flung Rogue at the wall, knocking her out, and smacked Warrior off him sending him flying into Spyke.
Marvel Girl went to lift his helmet off with her telekinesis but Juggernaut ran at her with a heavy haymaker so she quickly put up a TK shield to protect herself.
Cyclops fired an optic beam but it didn't even phase him.
Juggernaut punched right through her shield and knocked her out.
'Jean!' Cyclops shouted.
As the Juggernaut ran at him Cyclops fired another optic beam to slow him down.
Warrior winced as he got up and off of Spyke. His back was full of holes from the spikes that were sticking out of Spyke's chest.
Juggernaut pushed the beam back until he was close enough to grab Cyclops' leg and smash him on the floor.
Warrior looked behind him and saw he was bleeding a little, 'Why am I always the one getting hurt?'
Juggernaut threw Cyclops aside and ran at the last X-man standing.
Warrior sighed, "And the world continues to torture me" he rolled to the right avoiding a stomp.
Juggernaut then threw a downward punch.
Warrior side stepped, avoiding it, and jumped up. He kicked Juggernaut's helmet off, jumped off his chest, and backflipped before he could be caught.
Juggernaut raised both hands in the air and bashed the floor sending a tremor through it.
Warrior was knocked off his feet.
Juggernaut then went to grab him but Warrior hopped to his feet, grabbed his arm and went to throw him but found Juggernaut impossible to move.
Juggernaut then smashed Warrior on the floor, knocking the wind out of him. Then he wrapped both hands around Warrior's waist and began to squeeze.
Warrior cried out from the pain, he could feel himself being crushed. Lightning flashed in his eyes as he glared at his foe.
Warrior summoned a lightning bolt to his palm and kept pouring more power into it, increasing it's size. He threw it at his opponents face creating a bright flash of light as it exploded.
Warrior covered his eyes from the flash and then looked again to see what happened.
The left half of Juggernaut's face was blown off revealing a robotic skull.
Juggernaut's grip suddenly loosened and he became lifeless.
The Danger room door opened and the adults walked in.
"Did I win?" Dean asked in confusion.
Logan laughed, "Of course not!"
The other X-men began to pick themselves up and stood in front of the adults.
Charles interlocked his fingers and wore a concerned expression.
"Your objective was smart, removing his helmet" Ororo said, commending them.
"But you rushed your approach" Logan added, pointing out their mistake.
Everyone looked at the Professor to see what he had to say.
Charles stayed silent for a few more moments, choosing his words wisely, "To be honest, I wasn't sure if you could pass this test to begin with. However this only proves that we're far from ready to face the real thing. This simulation was barely even half as strong as the actual Juggernaut"
Scott looked at the ground shamefully.
Dean looked confused, "How did you beat him last time?"
"The Brotherhood was there to help" Logan said.
Dean was about to question the reason behind their presence but figured that could wait till later.
"I hoped that our newest addition would be enough to balance the scale, but it seems that I must keep searching for others to recruit" Charles said with regret, the life of an X-man was not for the faint of heart. Their purpose is to handle threats like the Brotherhood and Juggernaut, that is not something he wishes to burden people with.
"You all did your best, that is all we could ask" Ororo said before the adults left.
"Great, more people to share the bathroom with" Rogue said sarcastically.
Kurt groaned, "I need a hot shower"
"Ditto on that" Evan said feeling his sore chest.
"Bro you stabbed me with your spikes" Dean said showing his bloodied back.
Evan winced, "Damn, you ok?"
"I'll be fine" Dean said before looking at Jean, "And you made such a big deal about me screwing it up"
"I needed to make sure you wouldn't get too excited and go off on your own" Jean explained.
"I just slayed a monster a few days ago with my own team, I think I can contemplate what teamwork is" Dean said as he walked over to Scott, "What do you think?" He stared at him intently.
"I think your pride may have gotten the best of you if Jean didn't warn you" Scott claimed.
Dean chuckled, "Whatever you say Scott, next time you have an issue with me why don't you tell me yourself" he walked past him with an angry expression.
"Dean" Jean went to stop him.
"Why don't you go hang out with your best friend, I'm sure he'd like to whisper some things in your ear" Dean said as he left.
Later on the streets of Bayville
Scott and Jean went for a walk to clear their minds of their recent failure.
Scott had been in his own world since they left the institute.
"Ground control to Cyclops" Jean said trying to get his attention.
"Huh? What did you say?" Scott asked.
"What's with you? You're a million miles away" Jean noticed.
Scott sighed, "You know to me being an X-man is the most important job in the world. That's why I can't bear the thought of letting the Professor down"
"I know that's why you care so much, why you're so uptight, but it's making you crazy" Jean said not liking it.
"And your boyfriend butting heads with me all the time isn't helping" Scott said with a hint of bitterness.
"I don't know what it is but since you two met you haven't been on good terms" Jean said.
'Cause he has y—' Scott managed to hide his surface thoughts, he couldn't even think freely when she was around, "Forget about Dean, I just want to meet the Professor's expectations of us"
"You're doing the best you can but you're no good to the Professor when you're like this, relax a little for the good of the team" Jean reminded him with a bright smile.
Scott smirked, "You're absolutely right"
As they were walking a little girl, wearing gloves to cover her abnormally large hands, grabbed a couple of apples from a fruit stand and ran.
"Hey let go of my fruit!" The stand owner chased her, "Somebody grab her!"
Scott and Jean looked over at them, "What's going on?" Jean asked.
As the little girl ran she passed by a person who accidentally touched her and the person became paralyzed.
Jean and Scott ran to the person who became paralyzed.
"It's a mutant" Scott realized.
"We've got to do something before he hurt's her" Jean and Scott ran after them.
The little girl ran down into a subway and hopped over the rails.
Waiting for her were a group of disfigured people.
The one in front, a large man with an egg shaped head wearing a denim vest picked her up and put the girl on his shoulder.
The man chasing her also hopped over the rails and stopped as they saw the large man in front.
A man with long hair and grey gooey skin stepped forward, "We'll teach you to hunt us like animals" he threw a tar like substance at the man covering his entire face with it. It was like a mixture of glue and gum.
Jean and Scott went into the subway and saw a group of disfigured people along with the little girl.
"Who are they?" Jean wondered aloud.
The man with the grey gooey skin waved his hands and a tar like substance formed a wall behind Jean and Scott.
One of the disfigured people, a man with grey hair that was standing straight up and an eyepatch, lifted his eyepatch and his eye socket shot out a red energy beam at Scott
"They must be mutants" Scott said as he deflected the energy beam with one of his own.
"Pay the price for attacking Morlocks" The man with the grey gooey skin made a puddle of tar explode underneath Scott.
Scott flew onto the train tracks right as the train was coming
"Scott!" Jean grabbed him with her telekinesis and yanked him off the tracks narrowly avoiding the incoming train.
"Thanks" Scott said wiping a bead of sweat, that was a close one.
The man with the egg-shaped head grabbed a stone column and yanked it out of the ground. He then charged at Scott.
"I don't think so buddy" Scott raised his glasses and shot him with an optic beam sending him flying back, through a column, and into the wall cracking it.
'I better not try that again, without my visor I can't control how much power I use' Scott thought cautiously.
An old lady snuck behind them and used her telepathy to hypnotize them, "Sleep, you need to sleep"
The two teens struggled to resist the hypnotic suggestion but as they were distracted the little girl came behind them and paralyzed them with a touch.
A dark-haired lady in tight black leather and a black tank top walked out of the shadows. She wore an eyepatch over her right eye, "Good work Annalee, you'll be rewarded" then she looked at the man with the egg-shaped head, "Sunder, take them bellow"
Sunder grabbed both teens and put them over his shoulders.
The Morlocks then retreated into the subway tunnels.
At the Institute
Rogue was walking through the halls, still playing with her new phone.
She heard footsteps and looked up to see Dean coming back from his workout, with a sour expression.
Rogue hurried and caught him as he entered his room, "Hey"
Dean smiled for a moment, "Hey" before returning to his sour face, "What's up?" He went inside his room.
Rogue stepped in, "Nothin, just fooling around with my gift. You?"
Dean looked in his drawer for a new pair of clothes, "Trying to deal with the stupidity of people"
Rogue nodded, "How're you and Jean doing?"
Dean sighed as he pulled out a black T-shirt, "We're doing ok" He took of his current shirt and slipped on the black one, "But sometimes her way of thinking just confuses me" he turned around to face her, "What do you think?"
Rogue couldn't help but glance at how his arms were hugging his sleeves.
Dean waved his hand in front of her, "Hello?"
Rogue snapped out of it, "Uh yeah, Jean tends to think a lot like Scott sometimes"
Dean sat on his bed, "I just don't get it" he ran his hand through his hair, "Apart from his leadership skills, the guy has a very black and white way of thinking. He's got a stick up his ass"
Rogue laughed, "A what?"
Dean rolled his eyes, "That's my way of saying he's uptight, but I still don't get why they're so close"
Rogue fidgeted uncontrollably, she had an idea why.
Dean noticed this, "You know something?"
Rogue looked concerned, "It's not really my place to say"
"If you know something that will help me understand dick Summers please share" Dean asked nicely.
Rogue sat next to him, "I've been inside his head before, he's had strong feelings for her since they met"
Dean raised an eyebrow and got up. He recalled every instance where he witnessed Scott and Jean together. He would always be smiling at her, always concerned for her during a mission, he does tend to stand too close to her for a friend, and for the most part they agree with everything.
Dean's anger became visible on his face, "That motherfucker"
In the sewers
Jean slowly opened her eyes but couldn't see because she was blindfolded. She went to move and then also realized she was tied up, "Hey where am I?"
Jean heard someone stomp towards her.
Someone picked her up and carried her away somewhere.
"Hey! Let me go!" Jean shouted.
The person didn't answer.
She couldn't see at all but she could smell, it was nauseating.
Then she was placed on the ground and her blindfold was removed.
Jean looked around, she was surrounded by strange looking people in a vast area.
Everyone looking at her was, in some way or another, hideous. Indescribable faces that seemed impossible to have been born with.
"Welcome, pretty one" Someone said with a little too much joy in their voice.
Jean looked back and saw a man sitting in an old tattered chair. He was middle aged, with messy hair, and was also not easy on the eyes but not as much as everyone else's. He wore a dirty brown cloak, "I am Masque, leader of the Morlocks. You've already met some of my tribe" he said pointing Sunder and the other Morlocks she encountered.
Two extremely sized fellows stood next to him. They were both 7 feet tall but they both had one arm. One guy a left, the other a right. Each stood on the side of their arm. They had scars on their sides without limbs, almost as if the two used to be attached. One guy had long hair and the other was bald with a beard.
"We Morlocks are outcast mutants too deformed and unsightly to pass for human on the surface world unlike you we have no choice but to dwell here away from those who fear us" Masque said as he turned on a TV screen showing Jean, "When I saw your beauty I knew it was my destiny to have one such as you to rule beside me"
Jean raised an eyebrow and had a concerned look on her brow.
Masque waved over the little girl with the large hands, "That is why I sent Torpid into trouble to help show you the way"
Torpid had a blank expression, one that hasn't changed since she saw her.
"Right" Jean said having enough of this weird situation, "Where's Scott?"
Masque got off his chair and walked over to her. He knelt beside her and touched her hair, "When you agree to stay—"
Jean used her telekinesis to push him back, "Sorry, not interested" she said with disgust.
"That wasn't a request!" Masque shouted, "To serve my people I need a companion, someone to provide me an heir"
"I will never, ever, EVER, touch you" Jean said honestly, "Now where's Scott?"
"Sunder" Masque said with an amused smile.
Sunder lowered Scott on a chain. Scott had tar wrapped around his glasses and he was tied up.
"Does this help change your mind?" Masque asked curiously.
Jean eyes narrowed, "If you're the leader then you're the strongest right?"
Masque frowned, "No, my power's potency pales in comparison to some. However, it suits my tribes…" he thought of the right word, "Visual needs"
"I don't follow" Jean said.
Masque looked at the crowd of Morlocks behind Jean and picked out someone from it, "You" he pointed at a boy.
The boy had an ugly deformed face.
"Come here" Masque commanded.
The boy stepped forward with a fearful look.
Jean watched the boy carefully, for she had no idea what he was about to do.
When the boy was close enough Masque cupped his face and looked at it as if he were analyzing it. Then he grabbed the boy's face and began molding it like it was clay.
Jean observed in fascination.
When he was done, Masque pulled back his hands revealing the boy's new face. It was actually quite handsome and normal looking.
The boy touched his face cautiously, as if he wasn't sure what happened.
Masque then pulled out a black handheld mirror and showed the boy his new face.
The boy was ecstatic.
"I have the ability to change how people look" Masque said.
Jean looked confused, "Then why don't you help these people? Help them look normal enough to live on the surface?"
Masque smirked, "Because" he smothered the boy's face with one hand ruining it and making it even worse than before, "They need to be reminded of the ugliness of society, and how they only see what's on the outside"
Jean gasped, "That's cruel!"
Masque scoffed, "They're better off because of it"
"If you have that power why don't you change your own ugly face?" Jean asked purposely insulting him, in a very Dean-esque way. He rubs off on her a little.
Masque frowned and became enraged, "My power doesn't work on myself, perhaps I should change your face to show you some respect!"
Jean's eyes widened, 'You ready Scott?'
'Do it now!' Scott answered.
Jean removed the tar from Scott's glasses with her telekinesis and freed his hands.
"She refuses me, destroy him!" Masque ordered.
"Forget it creep, Jean's my date" Scott blasted Masque into his chair. He then blasted the chain holding him letting him fall on his feet.
"Brute, Hump, restrain them!" Masque ordered.
The two big guys left his side and went towards the teens.
Knowing that they couldn't escape Jean sent out a telepathic message to the Professor, 'Professor we need you! We've been capt—'
Brute, the bald one with the beard, grabbed her with his left arm, and choked her.
Scott ran at Brute, "Let her go!"
Hump, the one with the long hair, grabbed Scott with his right arm, and threw him into the wall hard enough to knock him out, "That was very stupid!"
"Stop it you idiot! I need her alive" Masque said.
After she lost consciousness, Brute let her go.
"She won't warm up to me like this, so we'll make some changes. Annalee, Dreamer, alter her mind and make her the obedient woman I desire her to be" Masque commanded.
Author's note: And another one down. I wonder how the X-men will deal with this!
